Ethical Guidelines for Publication
Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards: Authors must provide an accurate and objective account of their research. The manuscript should include sufficient detail and references to enable replication. Fabrication, falsification, or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention: Authors should be prepared to submit raw data for editorial review and, where feasible, make such data publicly available in accordance with recognized data-sharing policies. Data should be retained for a reasonable period after publication.
Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original. The work or words of others must be properly acknowledged through citation or quotation.
Multiple or Redundant Publication: Authors should not submit or publish substantially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication at the same time. Duplicate or redundant publication is considered unethical.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of others’ work is required. Authors must cite all sources that have influenced the content or nature of the research.
Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and consent to its submission. Contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. All sources of financial support should be fully disclosed.
Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article.
Hazards and Ethical Compliance: Authors must clearly identify any potential hazards associated with chemicals, procedures, or equipment described in the manuscript. Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with institutional and international ethical standards.
Duties of Editors
Fair Play: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on intellectual merit, without regard to authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity, nationality, or political views.
Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must keep all information regarding submitted manuscripts confidential and disclose it only to those directly involved in the editorial process, such as reviewers and editorial advisers.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must not use unpublished information contained in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the author’s written permission.
Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published based on their scholarly importance, originality, and relevance. They should consider legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.
Review of Manuscripts: Editors must ensure that each manuscript is initially screened for originality and then reviewed fairly through an unbiased peer review process. Reviewers should be selected based on expertise, and conflicts of interest must be avoided.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions and help authors improve their manuscripts through constructive comments.
Promptness: Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to complete a review within the allotted time should promptly notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their opinions clearly and support them with evidence.
Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and should not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Information obtained during peer review must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers must decline to evaluate manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or institutions.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify any relevant, uncited work and inform the editor of significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and any other published work known to them.
